Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs are ways that companies
have others promote their business and they pay you commission
for this service. You are paid either per click, a flat
rate per sale or lead, or a commission based on the sale.
There are a couple of companies that provide you with many
different affiliate programs. There are literally thousands
to chose from.
Most affiliate programs do not charge for your participation.
Why would you pay money to advertise their product/service
and increase their sales? So far, I have not run across
any legitimate affiliate programs that require payment to
sign up that weren't scams.
Since you will be doing
the advertising and the work to get them sales, companies
that charge you to become an affiliate need to be looked
at closely before you pay a dime. You are doing them a favor,
and you should not have to pay them anything to help generate
new business for them. Make sure to ask what you are getting
for your fee or what they guarantee.
I started with internet
affiliate programs in 1996 and have earned as much at $8990
in one month. It took a few years to get that high, but
it was well worth it. My first month, I made about $60.
Once it got to where the internet income was matching my
salary for 2 consecutive months, I was able to quit work
and stay at home with my family. The laptop provides an
opportunity to stay on top of my business even while traveling.
As an internet entrepreneur, I have found some advertisers
that really do pay and some that don't pay you, even if
you send them a lot of business. Once you find one that
does not pay, stop using them immediately and replace them
with someone else.
Things to watch out for:
When you sign up for affiliate programs, don't put all your
eggs in one basket. Sign up for a variety of programs when
possible, even for different companies that offer the same
product/service. The only exception is where an affiliate
may require that you only advertise for their particular
specialty. Be careful when doing this. If you are advertising
for them exclusively in an area, there should be a bonus
or more financial rewards.
Track your traffic stats regularly. If you know you are
sending 30,000 hits to your affiliate company and you are
not getting any sales, try to find out why. Look at your
pages to make sure their link is correct, or if there are
any other obvious problems. You should check this weekly,
at least.
By tracking your sales stats on your affiliate companies,
you will know how much you have earned for the current reporting
period. Most affiliates have tracking set up so you may
check your stats at any time simply by logging in to the
member area. It is generally a good idea to write down these
affiliate codes and passwords somewhere you can access them
easily and not forget them.
Just before the last day of the month, check
all your stats. Use a spreadsheet to track all your stats
so you can easily see all of what you are owed. Most of the
companies have a minimum you must have before they cut you
a check. This is an industry standard.
The most important reason to keep a close
watch on your stats, is to know when someone is cheating you
or not paying you. For some, it may be a simple oversight.
E-mail or call them to try to get it resolved. If you don't
get it resolved, change you link to them immediately by either
deleting it or changing it to someone else.
You have to watch the affiliate rules closely
and abide by them. If you don't, they can legally refuse to
pay you any owed funds. Do not SPAM people, as most affiliates
will inactivate you account and you will forfeit any monies
you are owed.
For me, starting out was slow, but built itself
up to where I did not have to work a real job. My first month,
I only made about $60 on all of my affiliates combined. Now,
I do not work outside the home and am able to enjoy life and
travel. My internet income varies from $2500 to $4000 per
month. The variance depends on how much time I spend registering
and working the sites.
What makes a difference in how much you earn
is by who and what you have for affiliates. I have some business
sites and some adult sites. The adult sites are the most lucrative
for me. The domains are completely separate.
Go to the Opportunitie$ button at the top
of the page to get links to the different affiliate programs
that I currently use.
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